BETA
The B'''eings of the '''E'xtra 'T'errestrial origin which is 'A'dversary of human race'', more commonly known by the acronym '''BETA, are a fictional extraterrestrial lifeform in the Muv-Luv series. Summary BETA are featured in Muv-Luv Unlimited/Alternative and their related spinoff works, where they are the primary antagonistic faction against humanity's forces. Muv-Luv Unlimited and Alternative, as well as their associated sidestories, take place in alternate universes where the BETA were first spotted on Mars in 1958. They arrived on the Moon in 1967 and, after a brief conflict with humanity's space forces, invaded Earth in 1973. They quickly spread from their landing point, Kashgar, and proceeded to invade the Eurasian, Middle Eastern and Asian regions; when they finally reached Japan in 1998, 36 million people were killed within a week. By 2001, the world population was down to about 1 billion people. The BETA vary greatly in size, with the smallest identified strain (Soldier-class) being around 3 meters tall, and the largest identified strains (Fort-class) at over 60 meters tall. They cannot fly, and the Laser and Heavy Laser-class BETA shoot down anything that does, rendering aircraft useless and making any aerial military operations much more difficult. Their very existence is shrouded in mystery. All that mankind knows of them during Unlimited and at the start of Alternative is that they are (obviously) hostile, are carbon-based lifeforms (this was discovered when specimens were examined in Alternative 2), and do not consider humans to be living beings (this was found out through the readings of Soviet espers in Alternative 3). During MLU/A it is revealed that only soldiers and eishi that have been officially commisioned are allowed to see the true forms of the BETA, which are classified at the highest level to anyone else. However, this is never elaborated on. During Chronicles 03: Rebirth though, the reason is revealed to be that because many of the BETA forms bear a resemblance to humans or have humanoid features, the general populace may fear them to be an out-of-control biological weapon developed by a rogue nation rather than alien invaders. They have been likened to the space monsters from "Gunbuster" (and to a lesser extent, the Buff Clan in "Space Runaway Ideon"): their strength lies in their numbers and capability for a battle of attrition, and they are notable for being incredibly ugly in apperance, sometimes scaring even battle-hardened soldiers. Combat Doctrine As an alien force created for mining, the BETA center their strategies around total dominance with overwhelming numbers; the areas that they take are eventually mined of all possible resources, leaving a barren wasteland behind that is unfit for supporting human life for decades to come. What allows them to not just stand toe-to-toe with humanity's forces, but to actually dominate them, however, are the Laser-class and Heavy Laser-class BETA. Their lasers can instantly destroy both air and ground enemy units from beyond visual ranges, and due to the fact that a typical low-threat BETA encounter would usually number several dozen Grappler-, Tank-, and Destroyer-class means that without air support, human armies would typically find themselves outmatched and outnumbered in a ground war. In addition, there is no real way to detect a BETA offensive from far off; ground-based sonic sensors and recon satellites are at the mercy of the weather and mechanical failure. The best defence is to have pilots being able to respond quickly and effeciently to a sudden incursion, and to quickly deal with an incoming force if it is detected early enough. During an offensive push by the BETA, expect to see several hundred to tens of thousands of Tank-, Grappler- and Destroyer-class, as well several Fort-class and dozens if not hundreds of Laser/Heavy-Laser-class BETA in the mix as well. The pie chart below provides a representation of BETA force composition in any major engagements. The BETA are usually commanded by the Superior, a BETA strain best described as a "biological quantum computer". This is the one true threat to victory in any engagement; the BETA in general can be lured into traps or defeated with clever use of tactics, but when led by a Superior, the BETA become noticably smarter, to the extent where it understands the concepts of human tactics and will create ways to counter them. Some basic tactics used by the BETA include tunneling from underground, often surprising defending forces from the rear, or from another front, creating opportunities for overconfident pilots to get trapped in a pincer maneuver. Often the main issue with combating BETA in any prolonged engagement is the threat of running out of ammunition, and the massive numerical odds; close-quarters combat is viable, but that would be playing into the BETA's area of strength, and is not encouraged unless as a last-ditch measure. BETA force size organization, as is expected of their force composition, is several times higher than their human counterparts. To add to that, most major engagments take place with multiple corps-sized formations deployed by the BETA, as is their nature to rely on overwhelming numbers. BETA Hives Alternative 231.jpg|Aerial shot of a Hive. Alternative 280.jpg|Inside a BETA hive. You do NOT want to be here, specially if you are a teenage highschool girl. Hive Surface Entrance.png|A hive surface entrance to the lower drifts. The BETA's bases are called "hives". The parts above ground are called "monuments", while the massive underground parts (which include sprawling tunnels spreading around in all directions) are called "stabs". Hives are classified into different phases according to their size. The amount of time it takes a hive to move to the next phase varies depending on the hive. The largest hive on Earth is the Original Hive, a Phase 6 Hive, while the largest hive confirmed by mankind is a Phase 9 Hive on Mars. There are no hives below phase six on Mars. There are also numerous hives on the moon. A more detailed list of the hives on Earth can be found here. phase 1.1.JPG|A BETA landing unit phase 1.2.JPG|A Phase 1 Hive phase 2.JPG|A Phase 2 Hive phase 3.JPG|A Phase 3 Hive phase 4.JPG|A Phase 4 Hive phase 5.JPG|A Phase 5 Hive hive launcher.JPG|The Launcher of Phase 5+ Hives phase 6.JPG|A Phase 6 Hive Phase 1 Gates and the main shaft are constructed. Phase 2 The main hall and drifts are constructed, and the monument is now 50 meters tall. The main shaft now extends 350 meters downwards from ground level, and the drifts extend for 2 kilometers around the Hive. Phase 3 The monument is now 100 meters tall. The main shaft now extends 700 meters downwards from ground level, and the drifts extend for 4 kilometers around the Hive. Phase 4 The monument is at 300 meters tall. The main shaft now extends 1.2 kilometers downwards from ground level, and the drifts extend for 10 kilometers around the Hive. Phase 5 The monument is 600 meters tall. The main shaft now extends 2 kilometers downwards from ground level, and the drifts extend for 30 kilometers around the Hive. Once a hive reaches Phase 5, it can launch shuttle-like objects up into space. Mankind has been unable to determine just what those objects are, and can only tell from the trajectory that their destination is outside the solar system. It is revealed by the Superior that said objects contain resources, which would probably include G Elements due to their unique attributes. Phase 6 The monument is 1 kilometer tall. The main shaft extends 4 kilometers downwards from ground level, and the drifts extend for 100 kilometers around the Hive. Phase 7 No data available. Phase 8 No data available. Phase 9 Largest confirmed phase on mars. Phase 10 and beyond No data available. References Category:Spoilers Category:Setting Category:Alternative Category:Unlimited Category:BETA Category:Total Eclipse Category:The Day After Category:The Euro Front Category:Ayu-Mayu Gekijou Category:Ayu-Mayu Alternative